“We have a kid on the floor.”
Those were the words of the Radford men’s basketball broadcast team after a child unexpectedly ran onto the court during a timeout late in a Big South game between the Highlanders and Gardner-Webb on Wednesday.
The child did a couple laps before he was picked up by Radford guard Truth Harris and handed off to an adult on the sideline.
It didn’t take long for the humorous moment to go viral, with fans making comments like “teaching the court storming young” and “court stormings are really getting out of control.”
“It was a huge part of the game,” Radford coach Darris Nichols said postgame with a chuckle. “When the kid ran onto the court, I just told the ref, ‘Please don’t give me a technical for this.’”
On Thursday, the Big South Conference got in on the fun by releasing a statement about the “unprecedented and truly pint-sized moment of excitement.”
“The fan, estimated to be about three feet tall and just shy of kindergarten eligibility, showcased impressive agility as he dodged staff and bewildered players. Thanks to the quick thinking of a Radford player (and apparent aspiring babysitter), the situation was safely resolved when the child was carried off the court.”
“While speculation initially swirled about the child’s motive, the Big South has confirmed that he was not, in fact, auditioning for the mascot role or demanding a game of 1-on-1. The child’s parents have since been located and it was determined that their son was merely enthusiastic about basketball and seeing the players up close.”
In the meantime, the Big South joked it is considering adding a “Toddler Timeout Zone” to “train proper pint-sized court storming etiquette and other fandom fundamentals.”
Radford won the 79-75 to improve to 13-6 overall and 3-1 in the Big South, tied for first.
“Kid on the court, DUBS on the board,” Radford basketball’s X account posted after the game.
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